Device for raising and aerating liquids



Patented pr. 7, 1942 DEVICE FOR RAISING AND `AIERATING LIQUIDS Carl Hasslacher, Scarsdale, N. Y., and Henry 1 W. Rimbach, vJersey City, N. J., assignors to Technico, Incorporated, New York, N.Y Y., a

corporation of Delaware Application July 15, 1939, Serial No. 284,641

2 Claims.

This invention is a device for raising liquids and particularly for raising and aerating chemical solutions used in the soilless culture of plants.

In this process, the required chemicals are dissolved and this solution, known as a culture solution, is brought into contact with the roots of the plant. A common arrangement for small installations is to bury the roots of the plant in a pot containing sand or other suitable material, then supply the solution at the top of the pot from an elevated reservoir and permit it to lter down through the sand where it will come incontact with the roots. The liquid percolates down through the sand and comes out through a hole in the bottom of the pot to be collected in a suitable reservoir. After all the solution from the upper reservoir has filtered through and has been collected in the lower reservoir it is customary to daily aerate this solution by whipping it with an egg beater or by other suitable means and then to return the solution by hand to the upper reservoir to repeat the feeding cycle.

It is an object of this invention to produce a simple device which will automatically and continuously, perform these two functions, that is, lift the solution from the lower level to the upper and, at the same time, aerate it.

It is another object to produce a device of this character which is electrically operated, yet

has no motor or mechanical pump such as a cen- 'r trifugal or plunger pump, which might contaminate the solution.

It is still a further object to produce a device of this kind with a minimum of moving parts and mechanical combinations so as to insure long life, reliability, and economical production and operation.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a nower pot and reservoir showing the pumping and aerating device connected thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the device showing the air chamber and the liquid chamber;

Fig. 3 is a section through 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a modified form of liquid chamber; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view'showing another modied form of liquid chamber.

Referring to the drawing, I is a pot for holding a plant andthesandin which the roots are buried. The plant is shown at P with its roots buried in the sand or other suitable material S contained in the pot I. The bottom of the pot has a hole 2 in the center thereof protected by a perforated (Cl. 10S-235) arcuateV cover3 so arranged that the sand will not fall through the hole.

Underneath the pot I and arranged so as to furnish a support therefor is a reservoir 4 adapted to receive the solution after it passes through the sand S and out through the hole 2 in the bottom of the pot I. The pumping and aerating unit shown herein is designed to hang over the edge of the reservoir 4 with the airchamber Illontheoutsidethereof and the liquid chamber I I on the inside thereof. A pipe I2 connects the two chambers, and a discharge pipe I3 runs' from the liquid chamber up along the outside of the pot I and is furnished with a gooseneck I4, which passes over the top edge ofthe pot I and permits discharge from this pipe into the top of the pot I. An electric plug for connection to a source of power is shown at I 6 with a wire I1 for conveying current to the air chamber I0.

vLooking at Fig. 2, which is a sectional view of the air and liquid chamber, we see in the interior of the former a heating resistance coil 20 connected to the wire I I through a bimetallic switch 2 I. This switch has contacts 22 and 23 thereon. Oneend of the resistance wire, shown at 24, is connected to the bimetallic element of the switch, and the other. end of the resistance wire is connected to'oneV of the leads of theinlet wire I1, as shown at 26. The other inlet wire, shown at 2'I, is connected to the` terminal 23 of the bimetallic switch.

With this arrangement, it is obvious that we can produce an intermittent current ow through the resistance coil 20. When the bimetallic switch `2l is closed, current flows through coil 2) and heats it. This in turn heats the interior of the air receptacle or chamber I0, which causesv the bimetallic switch to open, thus cutting off the supply of current'and permitting the resistance coil 20 to cool oli. When it is cooled, the bimetallic switch will close again, thus permitting current to ow again and repeating the cycle. The time of this cycle may be predetermined in the constructionof the device and in practice, it has been found practical to complete the cycle in from one to four minutes. Qn the bottom of the air chamber I0 is an air inlet opening 28 controlled by a check valve 29; A very small aperture may be used instead of the check valve. y

The liquid chamber is so arranged in relation to the reservoir 4 that its lower portion is below the level of the liquid therein, as shown in Fig. l.

The height of the level of the solution above the lower end of the discharge pipe I3 (Fig. 2)y determines the qauntity of solution discharged in 2liv each cycle. This liquid `chamber consists of an upper cylindrical portion 30 and a lower cylindrical portion 3| connected together by a tapering portion. The chamber is closed at the top by a suitable seal 32 through which passes the discharge pipe I3, the lower end of which is disposed only a short' distance from the bottom of the lower portion 3|. Pipe I2, connecting with the air chamber ID, passes through the seal 324 and terminates in the upper portion of the chamin ber 3|). The bottom of the portion 3| is'equipped x with a check valve 34 which permits the culture solution to enter the bottom of theA chamber but does not permit it to passnut.,`

In operation, the device is positionedjon the edge of the reservoir 4, as shown in Fig. 1, that is, with the liquid chamber partially immersed in the liquid. When it is desired to putthe device in operation, it is connected to a vconveninent electrical outlet, and, inasmuch as the interior of the air chamberi |02 is cool tostart with, the bimetallic switch 2|'wi1l ibex closed, with the result 'that-` currentlwillV pass Vthrough i theV resistance coil; 203,1 thus -heatingi the: interior of the chamber lgnwhi'chlwill. vcause Jtheair -therein to expandandiv move overlthrough pipe |2 to the upper part of liquidi chamberfl Icreatingia pressureon the surface-of thesolution'therein and forcing this solutionupfthrough the discharge pipe.' I3'.` The excessa'airfsupplied .by the air chamber then blowsout through the discharge pipe.` I3." If desired. the end of the, discharge pipe may be buried: in the Vsand at any desired point so.that.' after theV solution has. beenY discharged the. air that followsfwillprovide further aeration, As the. air! in fchamber. |0.becomes heated, the bimetallic switch 2| breaking the circuit andpermittingrthe resistance coil to cool oizi Asi-the interior of the chamber l0 cools, the air therein contracts and air from the outsideis drawn through the opening 28` and check valve.` 29f5to replace that which wask forcedV over intoitheliquid chamber Solution from the reservoir. 4f passes up through the check valve- 34fto restore 1the level in the chamber. l. In this manner, equilibrium is again restored and asi the interior ofichamber Ill cools off further,-,thebimetallicrswitch will. again close, thus repeating the cycle; v In operation, the. devicev works to force .slugs of: solutionvup the discharge pipe |3. These slugs arewell mixed with air sothat the device;` serves, the two puropens, thus poses of raisingthe.:v liquid rand', at `the/same time,

aerating it. The quantityvof solution lifted in each cycle, can be adjusted .byvaryingthe height tallic element maybe xed at thefactory or an adjustable bimetallic element may. be installed so thatthe time of; the cyclel of operation'may be adjustable within, certain;V limits;; An; vexternal timing-device may beused Ato `control the current for one or apluralityof these devices4 if, for instance, it is desirabletomorelclosely. regulate,

andfcontrolthe` time cycle;

In Fig; 4 isshown ,another type of liquid `chamber having-a small aperture, 40*Vv in the bottom Y thereof instead of -the check valve 34. Such an aperture vwill function asdesired ,because the:V

timegfon the solution the-reservoir; 4-zto;fll1' 'ors partly ll the liquid chamber is relatively long, as compared to the time during which air pressure from the air chamber I0 acts on the solution in the interior of the liquid chamber As the air is forced into the liquid chamber very quickly, the solution in the interior of liquid chamber cannot all, or infact very much of it, pass through the' small aperture 40 during the expansion period and, consequently it is forced up through the discharge pipe I3. However, after all the-solution has been displaced from the liquid chamber the excess air not only passes up,l the dischargepipe I3, but also some passes through'thisaperturel thus further aerating f' the` solution; Afterthe bimetallic switch opens,

andthe interiorof the air chamber I0 begins to cool off, there is a relatively long time period during-'which the solution in reservoir 4 can nd its way through aperture 40 to rell the liquid chamber I In. Fig.;5'.is shown a .very simple form of liquid chamber which 'consistsof Narrair.,irilet pipe; 52,

a discharge;j pipe :531' and 5a.-A solution: inlet pipe.I

5|. WhenLth'isn liquid chamber: is! immersed in the solution:` so that .the juncture'fof pipesf 52a and 5.3,..is1-belowithesolution level;.`and;.air is Aforced into.pipea52;Athen'solutionain;pipe- 53 is `forced upanddischarged into the; toprof 'the pot.

heY device. may. beconstructed so that oneV air chamber isrconnectedxto;aplurality of liquid chamberstV With such aiconstruction, the air chamber is; mad'ex-la'rge` enough to;.supply air. to

all the liquid ,chambers itis desired:v to connect thereto-.1 Thexliquidachambers:are preferably" all connected to: a,.,manifo1d;f communicating: with the top; of yairl chamber |122` This 1 device l, maybe: constructed :in 1 individual units;v to, ,functionz with:Y one lreservoir.' and pot, or. it mayfbe constructedwith a-,xseriesof pumping unitsv to functiongwith` au number kof reservoirs and pots but'.y en -suppliedfroma atsin'gle` air expansion chamber:

Furthermoregaa'tmanifold: may; be attached Ato the: enclof: eachiv discharge .piper-soffthat the solution may. bez conveyedzgto; several points,` either in the samerpotror different; pots.; This devicev has found` applicationrin thexsoillessa culture of plants4 but may; also;be usedcin: wateringa plant rooted ,iny soil.

Other modesgof-,applyingfthei principles; of our invention mayfbe employed; insteadY of: those exlplained, change being made as regards thevmethod herein disclosed, uprovidedthe;stepsor, com*- pounds stated` byany ofthe;v following'claims or the eqlll/alent of such-,gstatedfrsteps'or compounds vbeemployed.

Having thus described our` invention, whatwe claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for raising and aerating liquids used in the cultivation ofr,plants^, 'an-air chamber, an electric heating,element yin. saidchamber, a switch for periodically supplying, electric current to said element andcutting,it'oitherefrom an aperture for permitting the.infl'0.w of air to said chamber adaptedto substantiallyV prevent the rapid outflow of air therefrom, a liquid chamber, a passageway connecting'saidchambers, a'discharge pipe from saidliquid chamber,l and any aperturer for permitting theinowof liquid to said liquid chamber adapted4 to substantially preventl theV rapid outflow/of 'liquidl therethrough'- from said chamber..

of said passageways to said air chamber, means for connecting another one of said passageways to a discharge pipe, and a, constricted opening never closed in the bottom of said third passageway adapted to admit the solution to be raised into said liquid chamber.

CARL A. HASSLACHER. HENRY W. RIMBACH. 

